Vocabulary
虻蜂取らず
あぶはちとらず
attempting two tasks at the same time, accomplishing neither; falling between two stools; catching neither the horsefly nor the bee
expression
Example sentences
結局（けっきょく）は虻蜂取（あぶはちと）らずになってしまった。
If you try for too much, you'll end up with nothing at all.
その提案（ていあん）一石二鳥（いっせきにちょう）を狙（ねら）ったものだろうけど、「虻蜂（あぶはち）とらず」にならなければいいけどね。
That proposal may be a way to kill two birds with one stone, but we also have to be careful not to get greedy and spoil everything.